


So I bowed my head and I cried

by HuntingPeople



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Darkfic, Depending on how you look at things, Does this qualify as a character study, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, Hostage Situations, Injury, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Murder, RK900 goes by Richard, Serial Killer Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, Wakes & Funerals, based off of a dark cover of You Are My Sunshine, gavin dies off screen right at the beginning, it basically just goes through all of rk900s dark feelings, mature tag for murder, references to self harm and suicide, though pretty vague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 21:14:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20264596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuntingPeople/pseuds/HuntingPeople
Summary: "When I go to his funeral tomorrow and they see that I'm not crying, they'll think that I don't have emotions, that I never even deviated. But I feel, so deeply, that it physicallyhurts."I want you to feel that kind of pain too."-Richard is crushed by Gavin's death, and he just wants everyone to understand that, but he wasn't built to express emotion, not like his predecessor was. The only way he can think of to express how he feels is go after other android/human couples, killing the humans and forcing the androids to watch, making them experience and show that pain for him.





	So I bowed my head and I cried

**Author's Note:**

> Fic inspired by [this cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDa5JS2cpeA) of You Are My Sunshine, it really fueled my darkfic serial killer loving ass, though this isn't quite as dark as it really could have been

It was a gloomy day in Detroit when Gavin Reed died.

No light filtered through the thick grey clouds. Rain fell so hard it was difficult to see through.

Richard removed his jacket and covered Gavin with it in an attempt to keep him dry, but it couldn't cover all of him. Red blood seeped through the bullet wounds and rapidly stained the white. His scans showed his partner's body temperature steadily falling.

The man responsible had been taken down swiftly and Richard ignored his body, focusing instead on the man in his arms. He rocked Gavin gently, as he thought about their brief time together.

They'd been partners only a year, together for only half of that. They were still getting to know each other, Gavin was only just starting trust him, to open up to him. There was still so much for them to do, and it was over, just like _that_.

For a moment, Richard wondered where Connor and Hank were. He'd called for backup what felt like hours ago, why the _fuck_ weren't they there yet?

As if in answer to his thoughts, the door to the roof burst open, but Richard didn't look. He clutched Gavin tighter, "It's just Connor and the Lieutenant." He mumbled, swiping a raindrop from Gavin's cheek only to have two more take its place.

"RK! RK, what happen-" Connor stopped just a foot away when he noticed how still Gavin was. "RK..." He tried again, softer that time, but Richard wasn't listening.

He sang for Gavin, their song. He just wanted the man to know it was OK, that he loved him so much.

"_You are my sunshine away,_  
_My only sunshine,_  
_You make me happy when skies are grey,_  
_You'll never know dear,_  
_How much I love you,_  
_Please don't take my sunshine away..."_

A hand fell onto Richard's shoulder, shook it gently to gain his attention, "RK, you're going to have to let him go..."

Those words made him freeze, made his LED burn a much brighter red than before. "No." He hissed quietly, "No. No, you can't."

There were hands on him, grabbing at him, trying to take Gavin way, and his coding _screamed_ at him to _protect him_.

He fought against them, yelled, "No! You can't take him! You can't! I won't let you!"

Cries of pain could be heard as something crunched under Richard's palm. Then there were more shouts, the sound of people, too many people, struggling to pin Richard down.

He fought as hard as he could. He'd just lost Gavin, he couldn't lose him again.

"Let me go! Bring him back! Gavin! Ga-vin!"

Something was working its way into Richard's code, freezing him from the inside.

A burst of static escaped his throat before everything went black.

-

Connor's worried expression was the first thing he saw when his visual processors finally came back online. "How are you feeling? Is everything working OK?" He asked, before Richard was even fully aware.

He awoke slowly, his internal scans not letting him fully out of stasis until they found what put him there, but he already knew.

"_Why_?" Richard demanded, "_Why_ did you do that? Why- Gavin- He's-"

His voice dissolved into static and he couldn't continue speaking.

Pressure registered on Richard's shoulders and his hand shot out, gripped Connor's wrist so tightly that his predecessor's chassis cracked, "_Don't_ touch me." He snapped.

Connor nodded and drew his hands back, "OK." He said softly, "OK, I'm sorry."

"Where is he?

"Who-"

"Gavin. Where is he?"

Connor gave him a look that could only be described as heartbroken, and he said softly, "RK, you know where he is."

"_No_, he-" Richard clenched his teeth so hard he was sure he felt them cracking, "My Gavin, my sunshine..."

"Hank says it's OK if you'd like to stay here for a little while," Connor continued, speaking so quietly, like anything louder would make the other android bolt, "And we can help with the funeral-"

"Stop!" Richard snapped, "Stop! Don't- I-" He started moving, barely aware of it, and ended up in the bathroom, in front of the mirror. He stood motionless, eyes fixated on the reflection of his face.

He was completely expressionless. There was nothing there to indiciate the _anguish_he felt, the pain, the anger.

His face was just... blank.

When he tried, he only managed intimidating expressions. Wrinkled nose, forrowed brows, lips curled back in a snarl.

He wasn't capable of showing sorrow, or even happiness if he'd wanted. He didn't even have tear ducts, like so many other androids had, like _Connor_ had.

Richard couldn't even shed a tear for the man he loved.

It stirred something inside of him, some type of primal rage that took over his every biocomponent, tainted his thirium. He buried the feeling, as deep as he could, terrified of it.

A knock on the door had him jumping.

"RK? Are you alright in there, son?"

It was Hank. Sumo too, if the scratching at the door and whines he could hear meant anything. The pair must have just come back from a walk, presumably after they left Connor alone to handle Richard when he woke up from stasis.

"I'm fine, Lieutenant." He lied.

"You gonna open the door then?" Was the answering question.

Richard hadn't realized that he'd locked it.

Sumo was shoving his large head through the door as soon as it was opened wide enough, squeezing the rest of his body through soon after. He danced at Richard's feet, shuffling his paws and spinning in circles, knowing he wasn't allowed to jump up and determined to be a good dog.

Wide brown eyes looked up at the android, and a long whine escaped the dog, Sumo growing impatient at the lack of attention.

Richard crouched down and began to pet the animal with both hands, in favour of listening to whatever Hank said to him next.

There was a sigh from somewhere above him, followed by footsteps that gradually grew more and more muffled. He clung to the dog tighter, soon found himself with his arms fully wrapped around Sumo, his face hidden in thick fur.

The dog let his heavy head rest on the android's shoulder, his tail swaying softly. Even if it wasn't the exact kind of attention he was looking for, it was still acceptable.

Neither of them moved until Connor started calling them. Richard intended to stay in place, but Sumo started to struggle in his embrace, so he let go and reluctantly followed the dog into the kitchen.

Food had been put out for Sumo, and Connor was in the process of filling a plate for Hank, who was already seated at the table. He turned when Richard entered the room and smiled openly at him, "Would you like to sit with us while Hank eats? I can get you a bottle of thirium."

"I can't-"

Then he stopped, stilled, because he was about to say _'I can't, Gavin will be expecting me home soon'._

Silence stretched out between them, in a way that Hank surely found awkward, and Richard turned, headed towards the front door. "No thank you, RK800, I think I'll go for a walk instead." He ignored Connor trying to call him back and stepped out into the night. 

The last thing he heard was his predecessor asking Hank why RK wasn't using their names anymore.

-

His walk wasn't as relaxing as he hoped it would be.

Everywhere he turned there was another human/android couple holding hands, laughing together, enjoying the time they spent with each other. Their relationships hadn't been ended prematurely, traumatically, by a violent criminal, and most likely never would.

It wasn't _fair_.

Why did they get to continue their relationships and go through the milestones? Moving in together, getting married, having kids? While Richard had to deal with the loss of his human? He knew he was going to outlive Gavin, it was inevitable, but he thought they'd have so many more years together. Gavin was still young, mostly healthy, he could have gone on another fifty years at the very least.

But no.

He'd been taken from Richard so violently.

That ugly feeling stirred in him again, made him vibrate with the strength it took not to lash out at the couple closest to him. 

A male android with a female human, loudly making plans for the new house they were hoping to buy together.

Richard had to go before he did something regrettable.

-

Hank and Connor were curled up together on the couch when he returned, but quickly drew apart at the sound of the front door being opened.

Richard couldn't help but to be envious of them. Of all the time they'd get.

There were rumours of Hank being promoted to Captain, and that would mean more hours in a nice, safe office, than out in the field where anything could happen to him. He'd easily be able to spend the remainder of his days happy with Connor.

Richard wanted to hurt them. Kill Hank, show Connor how it felt-

_No._

They were his friends, he couldn't-

But there was nothing stopping him going after strangers. Showing another android exactly what he went through when he lost Gavin, what it would be like to go on without their partner.

It would require careful planning, but Richard was built for those kinds of things. 

For violence.

For _murder_.

-

Richard was meticulous with his planning. He couldn't be caught until he was ready.

He had to show those androids what it was like to lost their humans, and he had to see them _break_. See them show the emotions that he himself couldn't.

A city like Detroit, where the android revolution had taken place, gave him plenty of choices, plenty of couples. He went through each of them, picking out the ones that seemed closest, the most vulnerable, the easiest to get to.

He narrowed down the list to ten different couples, all over Detroit, and by the next morning he had perfect plans to destroy each of them.

-

They tried, Hank and Connor, to not be so... _open_ with their relationship whenever Richard was around. Part of him was thankful that he wasn't reminded of his loss every other moment, another part of him wanted them to stop hiding, to give him a reason to be so angry, to _do something_ about it.

"I'm going out." He told them, a couple nights later, when he was ready to delete the first couple from the list he'd compiled.

Connor gave him a concerned look.

He was clearly worried about Richard. Clearly not happy with the way he was acting.

Richard hardly talked, never went into stasis, rarely went outside. Most of his time was spent with Sumo, giving the dog all the attention he could ask for and more.

Gavin's funeral was tomorrow, Connor's reaction was understandable.

"Where are you going?" Connor asked.

"Just out." Richard shrugged, "For a walk."

Sumo perked up at that, leaving his bed in the corning of the living and trotting over to the two androids. He focused big brown eyes on them and whined.

"No, Sumo." Connor said softly, but firmly, taking a hold of the dog's collar so he wouldn't follow after Richard, "Call me OK? And _please_ don't stay out too late."

Hank didn't say anything when Richard turned to him, so the android just nodded and left.

He only had a few hours to do what he needed to do, but the first couple was relatively close. He took a taxi to their home and arrived in just under half an hour, then erased all evidence of the journey from the taxi's databanks.

Sneaking in was easy. Would have been easy for most androids. 

Subduing them both was also easy, but that was a task that could have only been accomplished by models like an RK900. The RK800, for example, or other androids designed for law enforcement.

He didn't knock either of them out, didn't have time for that, but it was easy to override the android's programming, disable his movements so he could focus on the human. Disable his communications features so he couldn't call for help, couldn't talk Richard down, not that that would ever have been possible.

Richard found a chair and tied the woman to it, gagged her when her protests became too loud, then took a moment to compose himself.

That feeling of rage threatened to consume him again.

He let it.

"So you're wondering why I'm here, why I'm doing this." He spoke, beginning to pace in front of the couple. The android paralyzed on the bed, and the human tied to the chair. "Not even a week ago, I lost someone incredibly important to me. A human named Gavin Reed. I loved him, I _still_ love him, but he's _dead_. Taken from me, before his time."

Richard took his service weapon from his waistband, tossed it gently up into the air, caught it again.

The couple cried out, the woman's scream muffled by the gag, the android's complaints just a static whine.

"It isn't fair that you two can go on. That you-" He pointed the gun at the android and the couple's stress levels rose dramatically, "-get to keep your human, live out your lives together.

"_Look at me_." Richard growled firmly, "Do I look upset? I mean, sure I seem angry. Livid. But do I look _sad_? Do I really look like a grieving man? That angers me more than how unfair all of this. That people will just look at me, and they won't know how much _pain_ I'm in, they'll think that nothing's happened. Or worse, they'll think I never cared. When I go to his funeral tomorrow and they see that I'm not crying, they'll think that I don't have emotions, that I never even deviated. But I feel, so deeply, that it physically _hurts_.

"I want you to feel that kind of pain too."

The woman was begging behind her gag, and Richard could see the android twitching his hand, attempting to reach out.

"What? Do you want to interface?" Richard approachd the android, adjusted his position to one more suited to watching his human die. "I'm afraid that isn't going to happen, secondhand pain won't work. You need to experience it all for yourself, to lose your own loved one, or it won't be the same. You won't _truly_ understand how I feel."

The android was trying to protest, a variety of electronic noises escaping his artificial throat. They only increased in volume as Richard approached the woman, raised the gun to point it at her chest.

She was struggling, tears streaming down her face, begging with her eyes for Richard to let her live.

He shot her without hesitation, ignoring the static screech from the android behind him.

He watched red leak from the new wound in her chest, soak her underwear. She was still alive for the timebeing, though quickly fading. 

Richard shot her twice more.

The silencer on the gun muffled the noise each time he fired, keeping the activities hidden from nosy neighbours. Only the three of them in the room would ever truly know what happened.

"So you see now how I feel. How hopeless I felt at the time, how powerless. You understand how much pain I'm in, how it hasn't lessened in the past few days, how it never will." Richard stroked a hand over the android's cheek, gathered tears. He moved his hand down, skin peeled back, and grabbed at his hand, forcing an interface.

He corrupted the android's memories of that night, so he'd have no way of identifying Richard, but would remember seeing the life of his human taken right in front of him. Would so clearly remember the pain she was in as she died, how he couldn't have stopped it.

Richard left after a quick look around, checking that he'd left no evidence at the scene, checking that no evidence had clung to him.

All clean, he left the property and returned to his temporary home.

-

The weather at the funeral was such a juxtaposition to the weather on the day of Gavin's death.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun shone brightly, warmly. Forcing the humans who weren't in dress uniform to shed their outer layers, the others were left to endure it.

Connor kept a close eye on Hank, but also on Richard. Dividing his time between them both, making sure they both made it out OK.

Richard wasn't entirely focused on the words that Captain Fowler was saying, or on the other people attending the funeral. His attention was on the man that stood away from the crown, dressed in a white suit with a rainbow flag around his shoulders.

He indentified the man as Elijah Kamski.

The android stood at his side, in a white dress with her own rainbow flag around her shoulders, was an RT600, known as Chloe.

Richard made his way over to them, waving off the quiet protests of Connor. 

The android didn't follow him, probably because it would be harder to monitor Hank's condition and the human was for more important to him.

Chloe notified Kamski of Richard's approach when she noticed him, her hand gently nudging his shoulder and pointing the android out.

Kamski turned to him, and Richard realized that the man's eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. He'd clearly been crying, and for a while at that.

Richard wondered what his relation was to Gavin, and how close they'd been to elicit such a strong reaction from the inventor of androids.

"RK900."

"Elijah Kamski."

Kamski smiled faintly at that, "May I ask how you knew Gavin?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Richard said simply, not wanting to reveal anything until he understood more.

But Kamski remained silent, blue eyes studying the taller android.

"We... worked together." Richard relented, "Partners."

Kamski nodded, "But you were more than that." He said slowly, "I can tell."

Richard's thirium pump stuttered in his chest, and his LED flashed a bright red. He nodded.

"I'm glad." Kamski smiled, fresh tears gathering in the corners of his eyes, "I'm glad he had someone there for him when I wasn't."

Chloe reached into a small bag she was carrying, pulled out a couple of tissues and handed them to Kamski.

Kamski dried his eyes as he went on to explain, "Gavin was my younger brother. We weren't so close in recent years, but back then we were inseperable. I remember he used to get so mad over people always wearing black to funerals, he made me promise that I'd never do that to him, if he passed before me, and he promised me he'd do the same." He let out a watery laugh as he gestured to himself, "Hence the flag."

"Yes, he told me something like that once." Richard said quietly, thinking back to that one night. 

"Well, I best be leaving." Kamski spoke, as he noticed the crowd of people beginning to disperse, "It was nice meeting you, RK900."

"Richard." He corrected, "Gavin called me Richard."

"A handsome name." Kamski said softly, "You can call me Elijah then, if you'd like." He handed the android a small card, "Feel free to come over whenever you'd like. I can tell you what Gavin was like as a kid, and you can share some stories of his older years."

"I'd like that." Richard held out his hand for a shake, but Elijah batted it away, instead pulling Richard down into a tight hug.

The man left without another word once he'd released Richard, Chloe following close behind. A slight breeze ruffled the flags at their backs.

-

Of course, Hank and Connor were assigned the task of solving the case where the android was forced to watch their human lover violently murdered.

They didn't suspect Richard, if anything they tried to keep the case away from him, like it would trigger him somehow. Make his situation worse. In the days following the funeral, he probably spent more time with Sumo than he had before, almost never leaving the dog's side and vice versa.

He didn't go back to using his friend's first names like he had before, at least not out loud, stuck to titles and model names. He felt like he couldn't, like he'd become so corrupted that he'd pass it on if he ever said them, if he got too close.

No, Richard had to keep to himself. Keep all of that corruption contained within him, so he didn't taint anyone else, spread that nasty emotion like some type of foul disease.

He took his next victim a week later, when he couldn't stand to watch Hank and Connor's interactions any longer. It was satisfying watching the android break down. Sob and plead and shake. Try to reach her human, try to ask Richard _why_.

Richard corrupted her memory like he'd done previously, and left the scene without leaving a trace of his presence.

-

He was torturing himself.

_Self harming_.

That's what it was.

Richard constantly sought out his predecessor and the human he was with, watching them when they thought they were alone. Watching as they held hands, traded kisses, whispered loving words. He followed them when they went on a date, took in every little detail of their dynamic.

He let the hatred in him grow, let the jealousy fuel him.

But still, they were his friends.

He loved and he cared about them, he didn't want to hurt them, not yet.

He tried to resist, tried to fight that feeling that he hated. 

His third victim lost her life eighteen days later.

-

"RK? Would you like to join us for dinner?" Connor asked, despite knowing the answer would be no. It had always been no, since the day Richard had come to live with them.

"No, thank you, RK800. I think I'm going to take Sumo for a walk."

-

_The other night dear,_  
_As I lay sleeping,_  
_I dreamed I held you in my arms,_  
_When I awoke dear,_  
_I was mistaken,_  
_So I bowed my head and I cried._

-

It was starting to become to much.

Richard still had lives that he wanted to claim, but this couldn't go on any longer.

He couldn't _stand_ to see them so happy, when he was still in so much pain.

But he couldn't hurt Hank.

He couldn't-

But he could hurt Connor.

It wouldn't be the same but he could hurt him.

He extended his hand, white of his chassis exposed and Connor just looked at him, shocked. 

In all the time that Connor had spent _begging_ the RK900, not once had he ever allowed an interface. Now there he was, just offering one up without Connor saying anything. He only hesitated a moment longer, quickly taking a hold of Richard's wrist before he changed his mind, withdrew his offer and refused to ever let it happen again.

Richard sent over the file he'd already prepared. Something containing all of his worst moments since Gavin's death, minus the murders. All of the pain, all of the hatred for himself, the jealousy, every moment his stress levels had climbed into the 90's, all the times he'd considered self destruction.

He abruptly drew his hand back when the transfer was complete and Connor stumbled away with a gasp.

The RK800 clutched at his chest, at his head, panting heavily, LED rapidly flashing between red and yellow.

Hank burst out of the kitchen when he noticed the commotion, he grabbed Connor, shook him, tried to ask if he was alright.

"I-I'm fine! It's not- it's not _me_, Hank, it's-" Connor stuttered out before another gasp interrupted him, followed by a sob. He buried his face in Hank's shoulder, shaking uncontrollably, and his next words were muffled, but Richard heard them clearly, "He's in so much _pain_, Hank. I-I don't understand how- how he _lives_ like this-"

Connor couldn't articulate much more after that, and it took the rest of the night to calm him down.

It wasn't _enough_.

It felt good to see someone so similar to him actually express the pain he felt, but it still wasn't _him_. Richard himself would never be able to shake and sob like that, to stain someone's clothes with his tears like that.

Richard couldn't hurt Hank.

But he could do something else.

-

"It's alright." Richard whispered calmly, as Hank began to lose consciousness, "I'm not going to hurt you, I just want this to be over."

He took one of the chairs from the dining table, moved quickly. Connor would be home any minute, and Richard wanted to be fully prepared.

Sumo was already asleep, safely shut in Hank's room, he wouldn't be interrupting them.

The front door opened right as Richard was tying the last knot, Connor returning much earlier than he'd anticipated.

He cursed softly, quickly drew his gun and pointed it at Hank's head as he moved to stand behind him.

"Hank, I'm back, I-" Connor stopped, dropped the bag he was carrying to the ground as he fumbled for his gun. He paused again, when he realized who had captured Hank. "RK...? What...?" His LED was blinking yellow.

Richard knew he was connecting the dots, would figure it out quickly, but he decided to make it easier for him, "It was me." He confirmed.

"I don't understand."

"You're not an idiot." He hissed, "You know _what_. You know _why_."

Connor took a step towards them and Richard thumbed back the safety.

"_Don't move_. If you come any closer, I'll shoot him."

Hank began to stir then, the drug designed to only incapacitate him for a few minutes beginning to wear off. He groaned, shifted in the chair, quickly realized he couldn't move.

"Hank, it's alright. I'm right here." Connor said softly.

"Wha...?" Hank slurred, blinking as he tried to look around.

"Let's not get too distracted." Richard growled, "I killed those people, and I'll kill Hank too."

"RK, I know you're hurting, but you don't have to do this. Let's talk, alright? Put the gun down and we'll talk." Connor tried, subtly sneaking forward as he spoke.

Richard fired at the wall behind Connor, making him freeze, "I said _don't move_."

"C'mon son, you don't have to do this." Hank spoke up, having realized what was happening.

"I don't have to, no, but I will. You said it yourself, I'm hurting. I'm in pain. If I'm not stopped, I'm going to kill more people. Seven more, to be exact, and possibly even _more_ if I find the ideal victims." Richard was seething, trying so hard to remain in control of his emotions. He really didn't want to hurt either of them, but he wanted to force Connor's hand.

Richard just wanted this to be over, like he'd told Hank.

He didn't really want to hurt _anyone_ anymore, he was just _tired_. He missed Gavin, so much, and he didn't want to continue on, in agony, when he could just stop it.

Richard moved without warning and the sound of a gun firing filled the air.

Followed by the sound of crunching plastic and spurting thirium.

Sumo started barked and howling, scratching at the bedroom door, begging to be let out, but he went ignored.

Richard clutched at his damaged arm. It wasn't serious, but it had made him drop the gun and he wasn't going to be able to get it back.

Connor didn't want to kill him, but he'd do it if Richard really posed a threat.

"Please, let's just talk!" He begged.

"And what? You'll just let me walk free? I've killed people, Connor, you'll be considered an accomplice if anyone finds out."

Tears gathered in the corners of Connor's eyes, the hopelessness of the situation getting to him. "Is there- Is there really _nothing_ we can do...?"

"You could kill me."

Connor almost dropped his gun at that, "What?"

"You could-"

"RK, I can't do that-"

"Connor." Hank interrupted gently, "You experienced for yourself how he feels. Let him go."

Richard took a step back, took a second to make sure they were all on the same page, then gestured to the human between them, "You can untie him."

Connor moved slowly, cautiously, and Richard just stayed still, let him move. 

When Hank was free, he pulled Richard into the tightest hug he'd ever experienced, Hank's huge body almsot engulfing his completely. 

He would've cried if he could.

He was released after a couple of moments, and Richard used his undamaged hand to lift his shirt, reveal his pump regulator. "Take it out."

With shaking hands, Connor reach out for it, but Hank beat him to it. He removed the regulator with a click, and caught Richard as he collapsed.

A countdown timer appeared in the corner of the RK900's HUD and a flashing warning told him to replace the regulator before he shut down. He ignored them both, instead focusing on his friends, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Connor smiled sadly, taking one of Richard's hands in his own.

There was silence between the three of them for just a second.

"I miss him." Richard spoke quietly, voice strained, "I just wanted them to know how I felt, because I couldn't- I c-can't cry and I _hate_ it. I-"

"Sh, RK, we know." Hank said, "We know." He adusted the android, helped him settle in his lap a little more comfortably, then took a hold of his other hand.

Richard squeezed it with all of his remaining strength, "Richard. Gavin called me Richard."

"Is that so he could call you Dick for short?" Hank tried to joke.

"I asked him to call me Richard, a-and he never... he never made fun of it."

"Of course." Hank's eyes were growing wet too, and he used his free hand to rub at them. "Yeah, of course."

"You two had something special, you know? Everyone could see it. Think some of them were even jealous." Connor spoke, "Or maybe they were just surprised at how much you'd managed to change him in such a short amount of time."

Richard attempted a shrug that came off as more of a halfhearted wriggle, "I didn't... do much... i-it was all Gavin..." He let his eyes fall closed, "W-will you tell Sumo that-... that I'll miss him...?"

"Yeah, he's gonna miss you too, son." Hank choked out, desperately trying to blink away tears.

"I'm... sorry..."

"'S not your fault, Richard, you didn't- it's alright. It's fine. Just-" Connor had to stop himself, take a second to breathe, the human action calming him somewhat, "Just rest now, I'm sure Gavin's waiting."

Richard hummed, let his head loll to the side, "Keep talking...?" He asked.

They obliged, even though they had to know that Richard could barely process the sounds anymore.

He couldn't wait to see his sunshine again.

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is huntinggavin


End file.
